The present invention is directed to tri(cyclo) substituted amide compounds. In particular, the present invention is directed to amide compounds substituted i) at the carbonyl carbon with an ethyl/ethenyl attached to a phenyl ring and an aryl/heteroaryl/heterocyclic ring, and ii) at the amino with a nitrogen bearing heteroaryl ring, which are modulators of glucokinase and are useful in the prophylactic or therapeutic treatment of hyperglycemia and type II diabetes.
Glucokinase (“GK”) is believed to be important in the body's regulation of its plasma glucose level. GK, found principally in the liver and pancreas, is one of four hexokinases that catalyze the initial metabolism of glucose. The GK pathway is saturated at higher glucose levels than the other hexokinase pathways (See R. L. Printz, et al., Annu. Rev. Nutr., 13:463-496 (1993)). GK is critical to maintaining the glucose balance in mammals. Animals that do not express GK die soon after birth with diabetes, while animals that overexpress GK have improved glucose tolerance. Activation of GK can lead to hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. (See, for example, H. B. T. Christesen et al., Diabetes, 51:1240-1246 (2002)). Additionally, type II maturity-onset diabetes of the young is caused by the loss of function mutations in the GK gene, suggesting that GK operates as a glucose sensor in humans. (Y. Liang et al., Biochem. J. 309:167-173 (1995)). Thus, compounds that activate GK increase the sensitivity of the GK sensory system and would be useful in the treatment of hyperglycemia—particularly the hyperglycemia associated with type II diabetes. It is therefore desirable to provide novel compounds that activate GK to treat diabetes.
International Patent Publication No. WO2001044216 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,353,111 describe (E)-2,3-disubstituted-N-heteroarylacrylamides as GK activators. International Patent Publication No. WO2002014312 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,369,232, 6,388,088, and 6,441,180 describe tetrazolylphenylacetamide GK activators. International Patent Publication No. WO2000058293, European Patent Application No. EP 1169312 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,320,050 describe arylcycloalkylpropionamide GK activators. International Patent Publication No. 2002008209 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,486,184 describe alpha-acyl and alpha-heteroatom-substituted benzene acetamide GK activators as anti-diabetic agents. International Patent Publication No. WO2001083478 describes hydantoin-containing GK activators. International Patent Publication No. WO2001083465 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,388,071 describe alkynylphenyl heteroaromatic GK activators. International Patent Publication No. WO2001085707 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,489,485 describe para-amine substituted phenylamide GK activators. International Patent Publication No. WO2002046173 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,433,188, 6,441,184, and 6,448,399 describe fused heteroaromatic GK activators. International Patent Publication No. WO2002048106 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,951 describe isoindolin-1-one GK activators. International Patent Publication No. WO2001085706 describes substituted phenylacetamide GK activators for treating type II diabetes. U.S. Pat. No. 6,384,220 describes para-aryl or heteroaryl substituted phenyl GK activators. French Patent No. 2,834,295 describes methods for the purification and crystal structure of human GK. International Patent Publication No. WO2003095438, published after the priority date of the present application, describes N-heteroaryl phenylacetamides and related compounds as GK activators for the treatment of type II diabetes. U.S. Pat. No. 6,610,846 describes the preparation of cycloalkylheteroaryl propionamides as GK activators. International Patent Publication No. WO2003000262 describes vinyl phenyl GK activators. International Patent Publication No. WO2003000267 describes aminonicotinate derivatives as GK modulators. International Patent Publication No. WO2003015774, published after the priority date of the present application, describes compounds as GK modulators. International Patent Publication No. WO2003047626, published after the priority date of the present application, describes the use of a GK activator in combination with a glucagon antagonist for treating type II diabetes. International Patent Publication No. WO2003055482, published after the priority date of the present application, describes amide derivatives as GK activators. International Patent Publication No. WO2003080585, published after the priority date of the present application, describes aminobenzamide derivatives with GK activity for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. International Patent Publication No. WO2003097824, published after the priority date of the present application, describes human liver GK crystals and their used for structure-based drug design. International Patent Publication No. WO2004002481, published after the priority date of the present application, discloses arylcarbonyl derivatives as GK activators.